We touched on the fight against leaf rust’s global-warming-fuelled progress last month, while also introducing the hybrid varietal Tabi as part of our Superlatives subscription. The Starmaya hybrid is another development in this fight. Unlike some other hybrids, Starmaya is an F1 Hybrid, able to be propagated by seed instead of biotechnology. This is an exciting development, it may offer “a much brighter future for coffee production.”

BH Superlatives this month is roasted by the one and only Talor Browne of Talor & Jørgen. We’re super keen to share their coffee, and further their message of fun, inclusion, and vulnerability. To start, here’s a powerful speech by Talor from last year:

Talor brings the topic of coffee professionals’ physical and mental health directly to the forefront of our discussions about the future and sustainability of the coffee industry.

Gesha Village by Talor & Jørgen

When Superlatives was first envisioned, this was the kind of coffee we had in mind. Rare, delicious, beautiful and interesting, it was air-freighted from Gesha Village direct to Oslo, Norway. Talor and Jørgen have this to say about it:

You know that first time you tasted a coffee and you felt like you really understood what all the fuss was about? This is that coffee. Without a doubt, hands down, this is the most delicious coffee we’ve ever tasted.

We only have around 100 bags of this super-delicious coffee left, and they always disappear fast. You can either grab a one-time purchase of Superlatives, or subscribe for a monthly schedule of interesting and delightful coffee. US$22, shipped anywhere in the world with DHL registered air-mail.

To continue on Talor’s theme of bias, inclusion, and security through vulnerability, here’s a collection of interesting links for you!

Standart is a quarterly print publication about the beauty of specialty coffee culture. It contains a curated collection of conversations, articles, news — bringing together art and coffee. This quarter’s edition brought a short interview with Matt himself.

Michelle Johnson wasn’t going to reinforce its existence, and she was going to do something it. Following her speech in New York on “Laying the Groundwork for Diversity”, she wrote this.

“It is asking a lot to expect us to feel completely confident and comfortable with speaking up about anything when support from our white peers often isn’t expressed, extended, or seen. If we don’t see ourselves in the blogs, podcasts, or publications, what else can we do besides our jobs, just like all of these other people?”.

If someone is messing up and you don’t say anything — that person’s in a really bad place. You’ve effectively given up on them; they’re beyond help in your mind. However, perhaps all they needed was a gentle (or not so gentle push) in the right direction.

Matt's Coming to SCA and PDX

If anyone in Portland would like to host a pay-what-you-feel lecture by Matt the week after SCA then please get in touch by replying to this email!